Graduate



y 1957 E. SCHULTZ ETAL 2,793,530

GRADUATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1955 VENTOR A- 05' orne A, 0 F J. 2 3 n 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I u 6 Z Z J H; 1, 7 W? WW F l l I I I l l I l I I I I ll. W410 M 1/8 7 Q 7 2 mm w GRADUATE" Elizabeth Schultz, Laurel Springs, and John A. Osborne, Clementon, J.

Application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 499,005

2 Claims. (Cl. 73-427) The present invention relates to a, measuring device and particularly to a graduate or the like which is adapted to permit measurement of two difierent contents.

Apurpose of the invention is to provide for measurement of two different contents, suitablysolid and liquid bythe same measuring device;

A further purpose is to employ the same structure to provide the base when measuring one of the contents and to provide the pouring spout or lip when measuring the other content.

A further purpose is to employ in a graduate an outer tubular body, an inner telescoping tubular body, an end closure at one end of the inner body, an outwardly extending base at the other end of the inner body, with a opening into the inner body at the base, graduations on the outer body reading from the end of the outer body opposite to that nearest the base, and graduations on the inner body reading from the end having the closure.

A further purpose is to provide a clamp on the outer body engaging on the inner body so as to hold the telescoping bodies in adjusted relation.

A further purpose is to extend side walls on the base beyond the adjoining end of the inner body, desirably making the side walls triangular, and to locate a pouring spout or spouts between two side walls and suitably at the various corners.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear, selecting the form shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of the measuring device of the invention resting on the base.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary axial section of the struc' ture of Figure 1, with the telescoping parts partially extended and the clamp engaged.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the measuring device of the invention resting on the base.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary axial section of the device of the invention with the base at the top adapted to function as a pouring spout.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the device as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation showing liquid being poured from the pouring spout.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

Requirements have existed in the prior art for measuring both liquids and solids and in order to meet such requirements it has been necessary in some cases to provide separate measuring devices to avoid confusion of graduation scales. It is very desirable particularly in measuring solids that means be provided to conveniently expel the measured content from the: measuring device so that instantaneous discharge can be obtained and the content is not likely to stick in the measuring device, either be? cause of electrostatic charges. or otherwise.

The device of the invention is. a combined measuring device which will measure both liquids: and solids in. different chambers and under any desired measuring system, whether using English units or metric units or other desired: units.

For measuring thev content at one end, inner and outer telescoping bodies are used and the. measurement is accomplished in. the space beyond the inner body toward the. open end of the outer body. In. accordance with the, invention, the. inner body is provided with a base at the end remote from the outer body and remote from the end: closure, on the inner body.

Measurement of liquids is accomplished inithe space inside the inner body. The structure of the base is. desirably used for a pouring spout when. the base is uppermost. Provision is also made for clamping the inner and.

outer bodies in any desiredtelescoping relationship.

The device of the invention may be made of any suitable material, but transparent plastic such as acrylic plastic or polystyrene are preferably used. Glass may also be used, making suitable allowance for other materials in connection with the clamp. Somewhat less advantageously one or both of the bodies may be made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum base alloy or the like.

The device of the invention comprises an outer tubular telescoping member 20 and an inner cooperating telescoping member 21, both suitably of transparent plastic as mentioned above.

The inner telescoping member has a suitably flat end closure 22 at one end and has a base 23 at the other end.

The outer telescoping body 20 has a suitably straight end 24 which is the end most remote from the base and has any desired number of sets of graduations 25, 26 and 27 on the outside of the outer body, reading from the end 24. These graduations are read by aligning them with the end closure, the space being measured and filled with the contents being the space 28 between the end closure 22 and the end 24 of the outer body as shown in Figure 2.

The outer body has suitable bearings 30 fastened thereon at the end 31 remote from the end 24, the bearings being on opposite sides of a longitudinal slot 32 in the outer body. The bearings support a transversely extending pin 33 which pivots a clamp 34 having a cam end 35 which engages the inner body in clamping position, and having a transversely extending handle 35 for operation of the clamp. The cam end extends through the slot 32 in clamping position.

The inner body has an opening 36 at the end 37 opposite to the end closure 22. Beyond the end 37 the base at its outer edges has side walls 38 which are suitably triangular as best seen in Figure 6 and which converge at corner pouring spouts or lips 40. The base has a flat transverse wall 41 which connects the side walls 38 with the inner telescoping body.

The inner telescoping body has a set of graduations 42 seen in Figure 5 which read from the end closure 22 toward the opposite end and are visible through the transparent outer body, or by separating the bodies.

In operation, to measure solids, with the measuring device in the position of Figures 1, 2 or 4, the clamp is released and the outer body is raised until the desired graduation on one of the scales is in line with the top of the end closure 22, and is then clamped by bringing the clamp to the position of Figure 2.

The appropriate content is then poured in the space 28 at the top inside the outer body, desirably levelling oi? the contents or measuring them heaping as is most appropriate in the particular application. To expel the measured content the graduate is placed above the vessel into which the content is to be discharged and the clamp is loosened and the outer telescoping body is retracted, forcing out the content by the end wall 22.

In case it is desired to measure liquids, the device is inverted to the position of Figures 5 or 6. In this position liquids can be poured into the inner body up to the level of any desired one of the graduations 42. To discharge the measured content it is merely necessary to pour using any one of the three pouring spouts 40 as shown in Figure 7.

It will be evident that the device is very compact, since the inner telescoping bodies perform two functions and the base performs two functions.

In view of our invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of our invention without copying the structure shown, and we, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of our claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In' a graduate, a transparent outer tubular body, a 25 transparent inner telescoping tubular body, and end closure at one end of the inner body, an outwardly extending base on the other end of the inner body, there being an opening to the inner body at the base, side walls on the base beyond the adjoining end of the inner body, a pouring lip between two side walls on the base, graduations on the outer bodyreading from the end of the outer body opposite to that nearest the base and reading against the end of the end closure, and graduations on the inner body reading from the end having the end closure.

2. A graduate according to claim 1, in which the side walls on the base are triangular, and in which pouring lips are located at the triangular corners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Berkower Oct. 24, 1950 

